Can Your SEO Campaign Be Effective in Other Countries?

Most search optimizers end up getting tunnel vision–understandably. Google still gets the vast majority of all search queries, so most optimizers focus exclusively on Google rankings, and if most of your customers are in the United States, you’re also likely focusing on domestic results.But have you ever thought about spending effort optimizing your website for another country?Advantages of International SEOThe idea is simple: get your business listed in search engines beyond the ones in your home country. For example, you might optimize your site to show up in searches in Singapore, in addition to the United States. Why would you want to do this? Broaden your demographics. If your product or service has a broad appeal, optimizing for search engines in other countries could instantly make it visible and available to thousands, or even millions of new people. Leverage inexpensive opportunities. Prices in other countries–especially developing countries–are much lower than in the United States. Google AdWords ads in the United States have increased in price steadily over time; they’re still not expensive, by most definitions, but prices for marketing efforts in other countries could be substantially lower. Focus on a new target audience. You may also want to target another country as a way to target an entirely new demographic. Rather than simply casting a wider net, as you would if you were only interested in expanding your existing audience, you’ll be creating entirely new products, services, and/or marketing materials for a new market segment. Strategies to Make Your Site…